Saturday, August 22, 2009

SummerSlam Preview

Rey Mysterio vs. Dolph Ziggler (IC Title): I think this or the ECW title match will be the first match on the card, in order to get the crowd pumped up. Rey is way over, as always, and him losing the belt would not do any damage to him. Dolph losing, on the other hand, would be devastating, as he lost the last time these two wrestled for the title on PPV. This should be Second-Best Match of the Night. Expect Dolph to pick up the win and get his first major title.

The Great Khali vs. Kane: So the likes of John Morrison, Kofi Kingston, and Shelton Benjamin are off the PPV for these two?! This will likely be a stinker of a match. Two big guys, one of which has a very limited moveset. If this match goes longer than 5-7 minutes, I will be surprised. Kane should pick up the win here; he needs it more than Khali.

Christian vs. William Regal (ECW Title): OK, let's think this one through. If Christian wins, he likely can go tangle with Kozlov (done before), Ezekiel Jackson (not sure if that will be good), Paul Burchill (could happen, but I think he and Hurricane are feuding), or Shelton (done before, but I would like to see it happen again).

If Regal wins, he may fight Dreamer again (please, no), or we can elevate some of the younger stars. Goldust is in a feud with Sheamus, so he's out. Yoshi Tatsu is seemingly a logical choice, given his previous matches with Regal, but ECW would not put him in a feud for the title. Tyler Reks is too green and has a crappy gimmick, in my opinion. Hurricane could step up and be a candidate as well, but Burchill may be his opponent for now. And Vince wonders why he cannot create young stars?

In short, Christian could be retaining here, but Vince could surprise me and put the belt on Regal. It should be a very good match.

Jack Swagger vs. MVP: These two rising stars should finally have a good match together on this PPV. I see MVP pulling out a win, likely with a rollup or some other fluky method to keep the feud going. I like this feud and would like to see it continue for a few more months.

Chris Jericho & Big Show vs. Shad & JTG (Unified Tag Team Titles): Cryme Tyme has been impressive lately, and I'm glad to see Jericho and Show making the effort to rejuvenate the tag division. I'm torn on this because, while Cryme Tyme needs the belts more than "JeriShow," Jericho is the best heel in the company at this point, and being one half of the unified tag champs is the only reason he is on all the shows. Despite that, I am willing to pass the torch on to Cryme Tyme. Then the Hart Dynasty could get a crack at the belts. Otherwise, we are back to square one. Expect Cryme Tyme to walk out with the gold.

Triple H & Shawn Michaels (DX) vs. Cody Rhodes & Ted DiBiase (Legacy): After all the buildup, HBK is back, and ready to kick some major ass. This should likely result in a DX win, although again, I can see Vince wanting to outsmart Internet readers and giving a fluke win to Legacy. This should be a straightforward tag match, gaining no more than **1/2.

Randy Orton vs. John Cena (WWE Title): OK, these two are facing off for the billionth time, and I am sick of it. Vince is frustrated that he cannot elevate talent, yet there have been many times where he could have elevated MVP, Mark Henry, or Jack Swagger to face a main eventer. I actually want the following to happen: Orton wins, and then Mark Henry comes out the next night on RAW to challenge him. The two have at least a little history already, and I would like something fresh. So please, for a 26th birthday present, how about some fresh RAW storylines? Winner is Orton.

Jeff Hardy vs. CM Punk (World Heavyweight Title): This is a TLC match, so this has Match of the Night written all over it. It has had tremendous buildup, and the feud history is rivaling that of Jericho/Mysterio. Jeff Hardy is expected to take some time off, but yet Internet reports say Hardy will remain with the company after SummerSlam. This is likely going to be the blow-off match between the two, and I see way more promise with a Punk win than a Hardy win. Punk would likely have his choice of Matt Hardy or John Morrison, with the former likely being Punk's next opponent. A sick finish is almost guaranteed, with Hardy either taking a death-defying risk (that misses) or Punk executing a super move to send Hardy into a bunch of tables. Punk should get the win, with this match netting over four stars, perhaps in the ****1/2 range.

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